Download - ADVANCE for Physical Therapy & Rehab Medicine

locating roadside bombs and either relocating
or blasting them in place. His secondary
role was to conduct raids in which his team
searched Iraqi houses for insurgents and
weapons caches.
“Seeing the horrors of war first hand can
really change you,” Dr. Jeblonski told his
Arcadia alumni magazine. “It’s nothing like
what they show in the movies.”
While his life as a DPT student was half a
world away, Dr. Jeblonski always had his eye
on an eventual career in the physical therapy
field and didn’t want his newfound PT skills
to fade. On his rare morning or afternoon
off, he would volunteer at a small Battalion
Aid Station, helping two physicians and one
physician assistant with diagnosing minor
musculoskeletal injuries and administering
modalities.
After returning from Iraq, Dr. Jeblonski
completed his degree and gave the student
commencement address to his original graduating
physical therapy class in 2006 (though
his official graduation was delayed until 2007
to accommodate his year in active duty). He
took a job in occupational medicine before joining
the Center City Philadelphia location of
Excel Physical Therapy, a 10-location practice
in southeastern Pennsylvania, in June 2011.
“One of the best skills honed in the military
is time management, so juggling several cases
at once and always thinking two steps ahead
is something that always came easy to me,”
said the married father of two (whose wife
is also a physical therapist). “Further, one of
the challenges the medical staff faces overseas
is keeping troops with injuries battle-ready.
People with minor injuries usually can’t take
a day off, so you have to strategize or accelerate
their rehab accordingly. There is quite a bit
of overlap between treating in the military
and seeing patients here, who have jobs and
lives to get back to.”
Heeding the Call
The veterans who spoke with ADVANCE
for this story share more than an interest in
human health and function—they willingly
[CoVER SToRy]
trade years of their lives, and in some cases
their personal relationships and their own
health, to serve a greater good. Their pride in
defending their nation doesn’t end when they
retire from service, as they bring that same
sense of duty to representing the physical
therapy profession back home.
“There’s a saying in the Army, ‘I’ll see you
downrange,’ meaning that the Army world
is small enough that ‘our paths will eventually
cross,’” said Dr. Jeblonski. “I’ve noticed
the same thing with PT, that we all seem to
encounter some of our past colleagues at one
time or another.”
And rather than seeking accolades, they
prefer to deflect admiration and get on with
the job at hand.
“Once I saw what physical therapists can do
[for military members], I was hooked,” Shields
said. “Physical therapy is the perfect job for
me. It lets you serve from the other side.” n
Jonathan Bassett is on staff at ADVANCE and can
be reached at jbassett@advanceweb.com
ADVANCE for Physical Therapy & Rehab Medicine
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